Press Release
SANTA MONICA, CA — Consumer Watchdog today called on the federal government to suspend any contracts with Google to provide so-called “cloud computing” services after it was revealed the Internet giant misrepresented the security of those services.
News Clipping
Consumer Watchdog and the Association for Competitive Technology (ACT) both expressed measured confidence about the proposal as well. Consumer Watchdog said the DoJ’s conditions would “focus unprecedented and necessary regulatory scrutiny on the Internet giant,” but that even with the rules in place, Google could still drive up ticket prices due to its dominance in search.
Press Release
Full Investigation Of Anticompetitive Search Practices Needed, Consumer Watchdog Says
WASHINGTON, DC — The Department of Justice’s conditions on Google’s $700 million deal to buy ITA Software will focus unprecedented and necessary regulatory scrutiny on the Internet giant, Consumer Watchdog said today. The nonpartisan, nonprofit public interest group called on the Department of Justice and the Federal Trade Commission to investigate Google’s anticompetitive search practices.
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“I don’t think the average consumer has any idea that what most people consider smartphones are nothing more than spy phones,” said John Simpson, director of the privacy project at Consumer Watchdog.
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Consumer groups, however, were far from satisfied with the FTC’s conclusion or with Google’s apology. John Simpson, the director of the Inside Google project at the advocacy group Consumer Watchdog, accused Google of getting a free pass from the government and pressed for further investigation and recourse for the company.
Press Release
WASHINGTON, D.C. — A “multi-stakeholder process” to develop online privacy codes advocated today by the Obama Administration runs the risk of being dominated by industry and failing to protect consumers if it is not organized in a fair and balanced manner, six public interest groups warned. The groups include Consumer Watchdog, The Center for Digital Democracy, Consumer Federation of America, Consumer Action, U.S. PIRG and the World Privacy Forum.
Blog Post
The Senate Antitrust Subcommittee plan to examine Google’s activities for possible antitrust violations, is the latest indication that the Internet giant’s behavior is drawing increasingly skeptical — and well deserved — scrutiny in the nation’s capital.
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Consumer Watchdog, one of the more harshest critics of Google’s dominance on the Internet, said it was “inappropriate” for the president to meet Schmidt in private while the search engine giant is being scrutinized by various U.S. government departments.
Press Release
WASHINGTON, DC — Consumer Watchdog today called on the Federal Trade Commission to create a “Do Not Track Me” mechanism to protect consumers’ online privacy and added that such a mechanism must have the force of law behind it.
News Clipping
One potentially rough patch for Obama is Google. The company has pending business before the Department of Justice, which has yet to rule on the company’s attempt to acquire the online travel booking company ITA, and recently drew criticism for skipping a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on rogue web sites. Consumer Watchdog, a California nonprofit long critical of Google’s business practices, pronounced itself “deeply distressed to learn that President Obama is meeting with Google CEO Eric Schmidt today behind closed doors as the Justice Department is poised to render its [Justice Department] decision.”
